The new Research Data Office will better support researchers in managing their research data according to legal requirements and security standards. This is achieved through technical solutions for storage, for example, as well as through extended online support and a support function staffed by knowledgeable employees.
To ensure that the support really meets the needs of researchers, the unit has assigned data stewards to each faculty. They will work closely with researchers, providing guidance and support while also raising the needs that emerge with the Research Data Office. The goal is a support system that constantly improves support for research – so that researchers can spend more time on what matters most: research itself.
Meet Ann-Sofie Zettergren, data steward at the Faculty of Social Sciences
How long have you been working at LU and how did you come to be the faculty's data steward?
I have worked at LU since 1997. My first job was in the University Library's development department, NetLab, where we worked with external projects. There was a lot of focus on digital services and metadata, and I've been doing that in different ways ever since.
I have been at the Faculty of Social Sciences for almost 20 years and have worked with research support for the last 15 years. Over time, there have been more and more questions about data management and other related issues, such as data protection and personal data. I am also the Faculty's research data protection officer, so it was natural for me to take on the role of data steward. The aim of my work is to help researchers to spend their time and energy on research.
What are the biggest challenges for researchers at your faculty when it comes to research data management, and how can you help them?
The Faculty's researchers use a variety of methods to collect research data, which often entails challenges in terms of the secure handling of sensitive data and personal data. The security of the respondents they have worked with is something that researchers here always take very seriously. The new storage solutions that the Research Data Unit will be developing in 2025 will make it easier to store your data securely, but it is also important to keep track of what data needs to be stored where and how to do it correctly.
My role is to guide the researchers in the right direction, refer to experts and ensure that solutions and tools that can facilitate their work are in place. You can always contact me and I'll make sure you get on and get the help you need.
Why is it so important how you handle your research data?
To be able to go back and re-use or review the data you have already collected, you need to have structured it in a clear way and stored it in a way that makes it easily accessible.
If you want to share the data with others or make it easily accessible, the data also needs to be managed in a way that makes this possible. You may need a DOI for your dataset before publishing an article, or you may want to share data via a repository in your discipline. I am happy to help with anything related to this.
Is there a motto or philosophy of life that you live by?
I want to be young and wild and then I want to be middle-aged and rich and then I want to be old and annoy people by pretending that I am deaf.
If you could have dinner with a person of your choice, living or dead, who would it be and what would you like to discuss?
If I were to have dinner with Alan Rickman, I could talk about anything.